1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to surgical fastener apparatus. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to apparatus for forming variable height surgical fasteners to body tissue in surgical procedures.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical devices wherein tissue is first grasped or clamped between opposing jaw structure and then joined by means of surgical fasteners are well known in the art. In some instruments, a knife is provided to cut the tissue which has been joined by the fasteners. The fasteners are typically in the form of surgical staples.
Instruments for this purpose may include two elongated members which are respectively used to capture or clamp tissue. Typically, one of the members carries a cartridge which houses a plurality of staples arranged in at least two lateral rows while the other member includes an anvil which defines a surface for forming the staple legs as the fasteners are driven from the cartridge. Generally, the stapling operation is effected by a pusher which travels longitudinally through the cartridge carrying member, with the pusher acting upon the staples for sequentially ejecting them from the cartridge. A knife may travel with the pusher between the staple rows to longitudinally cut and/or open the stapled tissue between the rows of staples.
A later stapler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,591 applies a double row of staples on each side of the incision. This is accomplished by providing a cartridge assembly in which a cam member moves through an elongate guide path between two sets of staggered staple carrying grooves. Staple drive members are located within the grooves and are positioned in such a manner so as to be contacted by the longitudinally moving cam to effect ejection of the staples. Other examples of staplers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,429,695, 5,065,929, and 5,156,614.